New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-21
THE oAPTURED TROPHIES
The prNGY ATTIC WHERE they ARE KEPT.
HISTORY OF MANY OF THEM LOST BY CARELESS
NEss-wHERE ARE THE FLAGS OF THE REBEL
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NFss-wHERE ARE THE FLAGS OF THE REBEL
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fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TKrBUNn]
WASHINGTON. June 2O-sscretary Endioott was aosen'
from bis Office most Of to-day and the efforts OF
correspondent him not rewarded Win sue
cana Mr. Epd,cott went over TO the White House soon
after midday and the President afterward decided
that IL was for him to receive the throhs Oh Vs
tors who called their respects ana 30 tne usua
reception was omitted This Ia all that Is positiveiy
known concerning the interview between the President
and the Secretary of War To reporter Of The Post Mr.
Endcot excused himself for declining to say anything
about the the surrender Of the captured
flags or the revocation Of 1t on the ground
that he knew no more about tho Hi"''ei
than what he had seen In the newspapers itis not
known whether Mr. Endicott is digent reader OF ne"s
papers, or whether is Ike Mr.. Garland who said that
he almost never read newspaper and therefore Kne"
little or nothing about the Pan-Electric business
The blockade OF the room In which the captured hags
are kept was partially raised today and through the
courtesy of Chief Clerk Tweedale of the War Depart
ment TRIBUNE correspondent was permitted 10 nspec'
the trophies I'm Temperature Of something above 100
degrees On Thursday the correspondent was de-
MED this right, the given By General Drum was
that presence OF visitor in the room would disturb
and hinder tho clerks who were eng"ged
in asserting the flags and preparing them
for shipment There no clerks In the
room to-day nor was there anything to show that clerk
ever had been employed there The only pieces OF FUR
niture are small dirty table and couple OF cases OF
pigeonhoes. Daylight finds its way In through small
skyght and circular window about eighteen inches IN
diameter No clerk could work there three hours In
June weather live But in this attic closet men nave
been at work asserting flags Probably General Drum
was mistaken when he said that those we're clerks
They have off good many OF the labels which az
one time attached TO the flags and thus precious
material for the history OF those trophies has been los'
ignorance and neglect For example the CORE
dtpfv torn N
crumpled bit OF paper, which had been trampled by
careless feet. Upon this discarded waif these words
written
Rebel in battle az FIVE F| Gmn Na
Brig. Gen. THOMAS OWEN Commanding Division.
OF course the value OF this piece OF paper was Do
stroyed when it was torn from the flag and cast aside
Among the loose odds and ends were three leather
shields upon each OF which traced the history OF the
capture Of the flag which it had been attached These
memoranda Invaluable; their Value has been de-
stroyed by detacng thom from the flags to which they
belonged. Again, many Of the flags have numbers
written on small tags which referred to like nnmbcrsin
record which contained Information about each
flag Many OF the tags bearing these numbers have been
LOST or detached by careless handling one consequence
Is that many the flags prepared for shipment to The
Confederate states 10 use President Cieyelanos ex
facts ought sufficiently to show the regard which these
sacred trophies have been held by Mr.. Clevelands
which the history Of the identified flags recorded Per-
haps may thought best to eliminate from the record
ali sentences which might CRATE on the sensbties OF
Northern Copperheads and southern Democratic politi
clans who appear be sensitive than do the brave
who carried the rebel banners 10 the front ana lost
them in action Their sentiments are larry expressed
b. Congressman Crisp OF Georgia, who fought IN the
rebel army and who says: 80
"6Od knows don't want the battle -hags'
Attention called to the fact that President Cleveland
must have been az oblivious OF the CONSTITUTION he
wasgnorant OF the law when he ordered the sgs 10 Do
surrendered. Article Ia Of the Constitution provides
The shall have power to dispose OF and make All
needul rules and regulations respecting the territory or
other property belonging 70 the United STATES
There is strong suspicion that Of the captured
rebel flags have surrendered within the last two
years and that the general order TO surrender the
mainer designed in part TO authorize such surren
der There is the least doubt that the whole subject
will be thoroughly INVESTIGATED by the Senate next win:
the rebel flags returned The agitation OF the
general subject raises this question; What has become
Confederate naval hags captured during the war
In reply 10 an inquiry on THIS sn9lect by TRIBUNE
correspondent to-day, Secretary Whitney said:
do not know In fact lid not know that we had
any such flags DO know, however, that have not or
dered any flags to be returned TO anyeody ..n
"Pm blest IL know where they are. We must have
One officer thought that the flags might be deposited in
but Professor seeley. who wrote the History OF
the Naval Academy could not confirm the state
msn He wa. rather ne IS 70 ro doubt britain as
both and from Mexico. but could not recall any
Confederate flags But he remembered that considera-
BILE number Of flags was captured from the Rebel navy
be displayed such public place" as the secretay OF
the Navy may prescribe II rather singular that
Secretary Whitney should not know whether any sucn
flags in custody OF his Department or wnetner they
are isplayed according TO law.
EFFECT OF THE ORDER IN THE SOUTH